A day of celebration at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

The charity venue has received a Community Grant from Sutton Coldfield Town Council to help set up the event on Sunday.

And the Managing Director of Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, Julie Rennison said: "The lockdown brought many more volunteers to the Town Hall and the fete is a great way for people to find out how to keep helping, not just in our venue, but for local groups such as the Sutton Coldfield Litter Pickers.

"It’s also Heritage Open Day weekend so we will have tours of the venue."

The event will include fete stalls, activities and community groups. A live music stage will feature local bands and comperes and a storytelling stage has been constructed for the public ground at the back of the Town Hall.

Tudor Community Sports Trust will be demonstrating Crown Green Bowls and local organisations such as The UP Creative Community, Folio Sutton Coldfield and Sutton Coldfield Litter Action Group will be showcasing their activities.

Special guest Henry VIII, played by Performance Historian John S. White, will be making appearances throughout the day.

The Town Hall will offer tours as part of the National 'Heritage Open Day’ project, with visitors able to see backstage, dressing rooms and the reportedly haunted ‘area beneath the stage’.

Visitors will find out about its history, developing from a Victorian hotel which welcomed health-seekers on steam trains to take in the nature and clean air of Sutton Park, expanding in 1905 as a council building and theatre, also used as a fire station and hospital across the years.

Now a charity-owned building, in recent years the building has been used as a dance school, film set, wedding and meeting venue and performance space.

Julie added: “With tours, pre-bookable picnics and afternoon teas, traditional fete stalls, local history and storytelling, this is a great way to get to know one of the region’s fastest growing venues with a fascinating past!"

The free-to-enter, family friendly fete will be open 11am - 6pm.

There are tours at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm but please note these can involve steep steps, although some parts of the tour are wheelchair accessible.

The tours are free but limited in size so please book.

People can book a free backstage tour or pre-order an afternoon tea box/ploughmans box atwww.suttoncoldfieldtownhall.com/whats-on/other/11142/

More information will emerge in the coming weeks on their social media and website, with any enquiries to be made to julie@suttoncoldfieldtownhall.com

With good weather, parts of the fete and music will be held on the grassy area at the back of the Town Hall, moved into the theatre if there is extreme weather.